


realities

by xogray



Series: percabeth oneshots [37]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Mortal, Annabeth Chase & Piper McLean Friendship, Drinking, F/M, First Kiss, Flirting, Friends to Lovers, Love Confessions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-11
Updated: 2020-10-11
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:56:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,716
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26953981
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xogray/pseuds/xogray
Summary: “percy,” she said with wide eyes, “what are you really doing?”he bit his lip and the movement distracted annabeth momentarily. he leaned forward and pressed his cheek against her temple. their hips were still moving in sync. “i may have heard a rumor,” he said quietly, “that you like me.”- or the one in which percy teases annabeth when he really shouldn't(or annabeth's pov of "expectations")
Relationships: Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson
Series: percabeth oneshots [37]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1839274
Kudos: 101
Collections: Percabeth Fanfics





	realities

**Author's Note:**

> annabeth's pov of ["expectations"](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26763658) but it can be read alone too

annabeth capped the lipstick, frowning at herself in the mirror. “i don’t like it,” she said, reaching for the makeup remover, “the red is too much.”

“beth, you look hot,” piper said over facetime. annabeth just shook her head, carefully wiping the red lipstick off her mouth. she applied a clear, glittery lip gloss and called it a day. she looked at her phone with a grin. “okay,” piper concluded, “you still look hot. you know who is gonna be all over you tonight.”

annabeth rolled her eyes at her friend’s suggestive tone. “shut up,” she muttered. her heart twisted uncomfortably. “no he won’t. it’s not like that.”

piper sighed. “if he was smart, he’d be all over you.”

“yeah, well. percy’s never been the smart one in our friendship.”

piper laughed, making the corners of annabeth’s lips turn upwards. she fiddled with her ponytail, pulling baby hairs out to frame her face. as she put on her silver hooped earrings, her phone dinged with a text from percy.

“he’s on his way pipes,” annabeth said. “i’ll see you soon!”

“bye babe,” she replied with a grin, ending the call. annabeth sent percy a thumbs-up emoji and gave herself a final once over before leaving her room and finding her shoes. she had a designated pair of all black converse she’d gotten specifically for college parties after her white vans got absolutely ruined at her first party. the converse themselves were dirty but there was no point in washing them when she’d just wear them to another party at some point.

annabeth quickly ordered the uber she and percy would be taking to the party and grabbed the converse, sitting on her couch to put them on. she had just finished lacing her shoes up when a knock sounded at the door. butterflies involuntarily erupted in her stomach. she opened the door to find the familiar sparkling green eyes of her best friend.

“hey,” she smiled, opening the door for him. god, he looked so good. “i just ordered the uber, it should be here any minute.”

“okay, cool,” percy replied. annabeth shut the door and turned back towards him. her brain fully stopped working when percy’s eyes noticeably raked up and down her body. only then did she realize how little she was really wearing, with short denim shorts and a tight crop top piper convinced her to wear because it showed off her cleavage. she couldn’t read the look on his face when they made eye contact again. “you look pretty.”

she blinked, wondering if she’d heard him right. annabeth felt her cheeks heat up and she locked her fingers together in front of herself nervously. “thank you,” she said shyly. percy’s eyes lit up in a way she didn’t understand. she reached for her phone and looked at it, seeing their uber driver was a minute away.

“oh, it’s here,” she said quickly. anything to get her out of this tiny apartment with him right now. they fled down the two sets of stairs to the bottom floor of her apartment complex and the driver was just pulling up as they left the building. they both got in the back seat.

the driver confirmed her name and the address. no one spoke after that. the only sound was the quiet country music on the radio. absentmindedly, annabeth glanced over at percy. her breath caught in her throat when she found his gaze trained on her body.

specifically, on the tight black crop top that laced up in the front in a way that showed off her chest. in the front seat, the driver cleared his throat and percy’s eyes snapped forward. annabeth immediately whipped out her phone and opened her texts with piper.

**to: piper**  
_oh my god i need to find you asap when i get there_

piper’s reply came instantly.

**from: piper**  
_im hoping for good news chase. don’t disappoint._

a few moments later, the car pulled up to the house. the driver chuckled at the loud, messy party house. “have fun, guys,” he said.

“thanks!” annabeth replied as she got out of the car and closed the door. percy stood next to her and smiled at her.

“come on,” he said, intertwining his fingers with hers and pulling her along. the butterflies returned to her stomach as he glanced back at her with a smile. annabeth let him pull her into the house and through the crowd until they reached the table of drinks. instantly, percy handed her a peach twisted tea. she wondered if he’d grabbed it randomly or if he’d remembered it was her favorite.

he grabbed himself a beer and they unlocked hands to pop the tabs on their cans, opening them and taking a sip. percy stepped closer to her and took her hand again. he leaned down and his lips just barely brushed her ear as he said, “i wanna find piper and jason.”

a slight shudder ran through her body from feeling his breath against her skin. annabeth looked up at him and nodded after a few seconds. he squeezed her hand and led her in a random direction after looking around for a second. after a minute or so of pushing through the crowd, he stopped and looked down at her like he wanted to say something. before he could, piper’s voice called out from a few feet away.

“annabeth!”

her and jason were stood against a wall, drinks in hand. annabeth’s eyes lit up and she dropped percy’s hand, racing towards piper and grabbing her wrist, dragging her away from the boys.

“spill, chase,” she said when they finally stopped in a somewhat secluded hall. annabeth took a long sip of her drink. piper watched her with raised eyebrows. “dude? what happened?”

“i have no clue,” annabeth said honestly. “i don’t know what happened but he’s acting… weird. he’s been, like, clearly checking me out and he’s been looking at me in a… weird way, but like good weird? and he’s been holding my hand, like, since we got here. and yeah, no complaints, but i’m really fucking confused. i’m not exaggerating when i saw that in the car, he was looking directly at my boobs, oh my god.”

piper listened intently. her eyebrows shot up at the last sentence and she gave annabeth a smug smile. “you’ll deny it but he’s been into you since the day you guys met. maybe he’s tired of hiding it.”

annabeth bit her lip. “maybe,” she said. she nodded in the direction of the boys, signaling that they should go back towards them. “but just… watch. see if you notice him being weird.”

“okay,” piper replied, pushing through the crowd. it was a funny sight to annabeth. her 5’3 best friend pushing much taller, drunk people out of her way. they found percy and jason in the same spot, laughing about something. piper stood next to her boyfriend and annabeth next to percy. 

percy stepped closer instantly and placed a hand on her back, making her spine straighten. “you okay?” he asked, leaning down. his lips didn’t brush over her ear this time but she could still his breath on her skin. annabeth looked up at him.

“yeah, why?” she asked.

“just the way you ran off,” he said with a shrug and a soft smile, “just wanted to make sure.”

annabeth’s heart warmed and she grinned. “i’m good.”

“good,” was all he said as he slid his hand that was on her back around her waist, carefully pulling her against him. annabeth’s eyes snapped to piper’s and they had a silent conversation.

_see??_

_what the hell_

_he’s being so weird_

_it’s cute though_

jason broke off their conversation when he said, “do you guys have plans for spring break?”

piper looked over at him and beamed, her face lighting up. then she looked back at percy and annabeth. “we’re thinking about renting a beach house!” she said happily. “we were thinking the four of us, frank, hazel, leo, and calypso? and maybe thalia, reyna, will, and nico if they’re free? i’m not sure if their spring break lines up with ours though. but would you guys be down?”

annabeth smiled. “absolutely,” she replied. then she looked up at percy and concern flooded her as she saw his hesitation.

“i’ll, uh,” he said awkwardly, shifting in his spot, “have to check with my mom and see if she wanted me to visit or anything. but i should be fine to come too.”

annabeth frowned as she remembered his family’s predicament. his mother and stepfather were just barely making enough to support themselves and their new baby, percy’s little sister, estelle. and with his mom being an author, she had little time to write with a new baby in the house. percy tightened his grip on annabeth’s waist when he saw her expression and he kissed her temple, which may have made annabeth’s heart stop for just a second.

“it’ll be fine,” he told her, just loud enough for her to hear. they studied each other for a second. thoughts about percy’s family, spring break, and that stupid, tiny kiss to her temple ran through annabeth’s mind.

“we’ll be right back!” piper called. annabeth looked at her and just barely caught her wink as she dragged jason away. annabeth smiled softly and then looked back up at percy, turning towards him.

“how are your parents?” she asked. percy took a sip of his beer and annabeth watched his adam’s apple bob as he swallowed. she wasn’t sure why she found that so attractive but god, she did.

“they’re okay,” percy said after a moment. “stella isn’t making it easy on them. mom hardly has time to write.”

before she could reply, percy’s hand shifted so that his thumb ran along the strip of skin between the hem of her shirt and the waistband of her shorts. her words faltered and her mouth ran dry. it was such a simple touch and it made her feel like she was on fire.

“like i said, it’ll be fine,” he said after a moment. annabeth couldn’t do anything other than nod. there was a thick tension settling between them and she wondered if she was losing her mind when she saw percy’s eyes flick down to her lip. she suddenly felt like she was suffocating in the hot room.

a familiar song began to play and annabeth lit up, using it as an excuse to back out of this tense embrace. “i love this song,” she said. despite the tension, she couldn’t help but grab his hand and pull him further into the crowd. 

annabeth ended up finishing her twisted tea within five minutes and she felt the tiniest buzz running through her veins. her and percy both were known amongst their friends for being lightweights. she moved her hips to the beat of each song and she constantly tugged at percy’s hand, trying to get him to dance too.

he mainly just swayed to the music and drank his beer, but occasionally, he would spin her or do some simple, stupid dance move to make her laugh. but for the most part, he watched her with a wide smile, and annabeth was thriving under his undivided attention. 

at some point after spinning her, percy pulled her into his chest haphazardly, making her giggle. she could feel sweat collect around her neck and forehead. “i’m all gross now,” she whined, still smiling.

“you’re beautiful,” he replied without missing a beat. annabeth beamed as he placed his hand on her waist. his eyes glittered under the bright lights and fuck, she loved him. a little part of her wanted to tell him but she would’ve needed a lot more alcohol in her system to do that. 

another song she didn’t recognize played and she noticed percy’s face change, like he was contemplating something. before she could ask what, he spun her again. halfway through the spin, he brought his arm down to pull her back against his chest, his arm crossing her body and holding her hand by her hip. annabeth’s froze temporarily and her breath hitched as her back hit his chest. 

and then, delirious with love and desire, she relaxed against him and giggled. percy moved his hips with hers and she felt her body grow warmer. she felt like she was losing her breath from the simple movements. soft pants came out of her mouth and she leaned back completely, her head tilting to the side distractedly.

annabeth gasped when she felt his lips brush over her neck. he was going to be the death of her. “percy,” she said breathlessly.

“yes?” he replied. she could feel his smile against her skin and an unwilling whimper left her throat. percy dropped her hand, instead holding her waist tighter so their bodies were flush against each other. his hand was splayed over her ribcage and side.

“what are you doing?” she asked quietly. she had to. her mind was both blank and racing with a million thoughts all at once and she needed to know what he was doing. she needed to know his end goal.

instead of anything helpful, he answered, “dancing.” despite getting no real answer to her question, annabeth chuckled softly. she kept her hips moving with his because she couldn’t help herself. she nearly whined in disappointment when he pulled away, but it was only to turn her again, pressing their chests and hips together.

annabeth inhaled sharply. their faces were inches apart and his hand was pressed against her lower back. his pupils were dilated as he looked down at her and god, she was going to lose her mind like this. then, his hand slid down until his pinky touched the top of her back pocket.

“percy,” she said with wide eyes, “what are you really doing?”

percy bit his lip and the movement distracted annabeth momentarily. he leaned forward and pressed his cheek against her temple. their hips were still moving in sync.

“i may have heard a rumor,” he said quietly, “that you like me.”

annabeth’s blood ran cold and fear filled her veins. she leaned back and looked at him with wide eyes. how? how could he have _found out?_ and why exactly was that making him act like this? surely, if he liked her, he would’ve said something by now, right?

then, her eyes drifted from his to the beer can in his grip. annabeth held her breath as she removed her hand from his side and took the can from him. true to her prediction, it was empty. realistically, she knew he wasn’t drunk. he’d had one beer. but still, thoughts ran through her head. maybe he was tipsy, maybe he hadn’t eaten enough today so he was drunk, maybe he’d had something else while she’d talked to piper.

betrayal, anger, and hurt flooded her body and she dropped his can on the ground, turning away from him and pushing through the crowd. a second later, she heard him calling out for her but she kept walking. she wasn’t sure where she was going yet but she had to get out of this house. she angrily chucked her empty drink into a trash can as she passed one.

her mind raced with any possible explanation for the way he was acting. memories of his eyes raking over her exposed body and his hands on her whenever he got the chance resurfaced. her heart twisted uncomfortably and her stomach dropped. 

annabeth hadn’t even realized she was outside, halfway across the lawn, until a hand grabbed her wrist. “annabeth!” percy called again. she yanked her hand away from him and spun around.

“what was your plan?” anger was laced with every word she spoke. “you find out that i like you so you thought, what? maybe if you were all flirty, you’d get laid or something?” 

annabeth looked up at the sky as she felt tears well up in her eyes. “fuck,” she whispered. she felt so stupid now. she’d just begun to think _maybe_ he did like her too. _maybe_ he felt the same. 

when percy didn’t reply, annabeth looked back down at him. his eyes were wide and his lips were parted. he looked stunned, like he had no clue what to say.

annabeth wiped away the tears that had fallen. “how did you find out?” she asked weakly.

percy regained his senses and a guilty look took over his face. “um, yesterday, at your house,” he said quietly, “you had gone to the bathroom and piper texted you. about me. and i saw the texts when they popped up on your lock screen. i didn’t… i didn’t mean to read them but then i saw my name.”

annabeth laughed humorlessly as she remembered the texts. she’d been texting piper about how intense her feelings for percy had gotten. when she’d gotten back from the bathroom, piper had replied with _i think you should tell him. i mean it’s percy, he’s your best friend. liking him wouldn’t destroy a friendship like yours._

percy had seen that. he’d seen those texts.

he was looking at her with wide, sad eyes. “annabeth,” he said carefully, taking a small step towards her, “i don’t know where you got the idea that i would do something like use your feelings for me as a way to just… have sex. that’s not… i’m not like that. to anyone, but especially not you.”

annabeth knew that. percy wasn’t the type to use anyone for anything. him using her feeling for sex is the most unlikely thing possible. but she had no other explanation. she looked down at her feet, tears still falling from her cheeks. “you’re drunk. or at least tipsy,” she said.

“no,” he denied it instantly. “i’m a little buzzed, sure. but i know what i’m doing. i’ve known what i’ve been doing the whole night.”

“which is what exactly?” she hadn’t meant for her voice to come out so harsh. but it had.

percy sighed and stepped closer to her again. “i was being all flirty and everything because i wanted to tease you a little and see you flustered. not to use you. and i was doing that because i find it really cute. when you’re all blushy and flustered.” he took one more step forward and took her face in his hands, making her look at him. “i wanted to tell you at some point tonight how i felt about you. and i thought it would be fun to tease at first. because it is really adorable. and i was going to tell you how much i like you too. which i hoped would make up for teasing you.”

annabeth held her breath as she looked at him intently, processing his words. her eyebrows knitted together and she couldn’t stop her skepticism from seeping into her voice. “you like me?”

percy grinned softly. “duh. how could i not?” he said, like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “you’re my best friend and i trust you more than anyone. you’re beautiful and caring and funny and so fucking smart, to the point where it’s kinda hot. you’re there for me and you make me happier than anything in the world. i’m sorry for messing with you tonight. if i had known it was going to come across the way it did and hurt you, i never would’ve.”

as he spoke, the stupid butterflies returned to her stomach. she could see the honesty in his eyes and annabeth was sure he could hear her heart pounding, even over the music still playing in the house. her lips curved upwards slowly and her tears didn’t stop. he moved his hands from her cheeks to her waist.

“i’m sorry,” he repeated, “i never wanted to hurt you.”

annabeth gave him a watery smile and her hands came up to rest on his upper arms. “i know,” she said quietly. they looked at each other for a moment and she cleared her throat before biting her lip. “i believe you were going to tell me how much you like me?”

percy laughed quietly and she could feel the tension between them dissipate into the night air. “i love you,” he said.

annabeth’s breath hitched and her eyes widened. oh. _oh._ she hadn’t been expecting that. her brain stopped working and all she could stutter out was, “you-oh.”

percy chuckled and he held her tighter against him, reaching up to tuck a hair behind her ear. annabeth took slow, uneven breaths as she tried to process what he’d said and reply. apparently, she’d taken too long because percy smiled and leaned forward, pressing a soft kiss to her jaw, an inch below her ear. “usually this is the part where you say it back,” he teased softly, pressing more tiny kisses to her jaw.

annabeth sucked in a breath before fully relaxing against him. she let his lips and soft breaths bring her back to earth as she whispered, “i love you too.” her fingers tightened around his biceps and he pulled back with a smile. less than a second later, he was leaning down and kissing her.

annabeth hummed lowly and wrapped her arms around his neck, moving her lips against his. percy towered over her so her head was tilted back and she was smiling against his mouth. she tried to pull back after a while to breathe but he moved with her, chasing her lips. annabeth’s giggle was smothered by another kiss. she waited another moment before actually pulling back with heavy breaths.

without thinking, she muttered, “i’ve been waiting so long for that.” her cheeks flushed after she said it, but percy just smiled.

“did it meet your expectations?” he teased, making her laugh softly and lean in for another gentle kiss.

“absolutely,” she whispered. they were both about to lean in when piper’s voice interrupted them. 

“oh my god, fucking finally!”

jason was holding piper up as they walked across the lawn. annabeth didn’t have to see her up close to know piper was wasted. annabeth laughed softly and looked at percy. “yeah,” she teased, “fucking finally.”


End file.
